A Little Something Extra
by Voice Number Seven
Summary: I needed my muse back. I needed to feel loved. I wanted both of those things. But I always felt there was something else I needed. A little something extra to spice up my life. But when the opportunity presented itself, I still had to think about it.
1. Phone Calls

**Title:** A Little Something Extra

**Author:** Lalipop

**Rating: **T

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

**Fandom:** Harvest Moon: (More) Friends of Mineral Town

**Disclaimer:** Harvest Moon and Natsume do not belong to me.

**Summary:** I needed my muse back. I needed to feel loved. I wanted both of those things. But I always felt there was something else I needed. A little something extra to spice up my life. But when the opportunity presented itself, I still had to think about it.

**Author's Notes:** Title subject to change, just for future reference.

* * *

**Chapter the First**

**Phone Calls**

* * *

"Is there any mail for me?"

"No, Miss Jabari," The voice on the other end of the line was male, hopelessly polite, the kind of voice you know belongs to a person who can kiss ass and kiss ass well.

Nonetheless, it never hurt to be polite. "Thank you."

"No problem at all, Miss Jabari. Is there anything you would like upstairs?"

"No, thank you." Twirling the cord around my finger, I reconsidered, quickly correcting myself, "Wait, yes, actually there _is_ something I'd like."

"Yes?" he didn't sound fazed as all.

"Could you send up some strawberries? Nice and fresh and red and juicy?"

"Of course, Miss Jabari." What he did sound like was a hopelessly happy or relieved person.

"Thank you."

"It'll be right up, Miss Jabari."

Goddess, I hoped so. I was craving strawberries right now. Plus, they'd go perfectly with the champagne in the bar. That was probably the only good thing about the penthouse suite at a hotel like this. Five-star-could-probably-be-six-star-if-such-a-thing-existed hotel.

The line went dead, and I removed the cord from my finger before I put the phone back in its cradle. I stared at the white contraption, then picked it up again and dialed.

The secretary answered after the second ring, "Cecelia Edmunds Publishing, how can we help you?"

"It's Mirage," I said. Not even the secretary at the desk knew what my real name was, which was kind of sad. They knew what I looked like, what my voice sounded like, but they had no idea who I actually was. "Can you put me through to Cece please?"

"Pass code, please."

Not this again.

I sighed. "Pass code? Really? Come on, you know my voice, you know the number." Every secretary had the number of every hotel every author was staying at if they were out of town. If it was a number they didn't recognize, they weren't supposed to answer.

"I also know that there are tons of people who could easily manipulate a voice recording," Now she was just being a smartass. She knew I had no technical skill whatsoever. Hell, I could barely handle a computer. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing again. "Pass code please."

"Jabari," I muttered. It probably wasn't amazingly wise of me to use my last name, but I sucked at stuff like that. I couldn't even lie sufficiently.

"Thank you." I rolled my eyes; she sounded like a robot or pre-recording. "Please hold while we reach your party."

I punched the desk. "No, I won't hold, damn it!"

"How often have I told you to stop cussing?" A new voice greeted me.

I felt the blood rush to my face. Shit. "Hi, Cece."

"Answer the question, Jabari." Unlike the secretary, my editor and publisher scared the shit out of me. Plus, she didn't sound like a robot. Her voice was just as emotionless, but there was a sense of danger underneath that usually had me quivering in my chair.

"Seriously, if you would stop with the whole secrecy thing it would work fine." Changing the subject never worked, but hey, I could try, couldn't I? Cece might be verbally abusive, but she'd never really hurt me otherwise. Not even in business.

"Answer the question, Jabari."

"I mean, I'd get it if you were an author yourself, but girl, your name is the name of the fucking company." Keep up that train of thought and she might give. Goddess, I hoped so.

"Jabari!"

"Fine." I was about a hundred times as apologetic as I sounded. She scared me like nobody's business. "Sorry."

She sighed, then asking very cheerfully, "What are you calling about?"

"The hotel," I grumped.

Just as I said that, someone knocked on the door. I picked up the phone and took it with me to let in room service. A cute guy, emblazoned with a nametag stating his name was "GRIFFIN," came in carrying a tray. His gruff appearance, complete with a ponytail and five o'clock shadow, made him look both older than I guessed him to be and completely unfit to be a bell boy in a five star hotel.

I smiled at him, pulling my wallet out of pants pocket and gestured for him to put the strawberry tray on the bar, then tipped him as I heard Cece's response, "Something wrong with it? Don't tell me the staff's been treating you like crap."

I mouthed a 'thank you' to him and grinned as he nodded, and disappeared, while I returned to my phone call, "No, actually. The staff's been kissing my ass like nobody's business. In fact, when I first got here, the manager took me into his office and told me he'd gladly kiss my ass both literally and figuratively." I opened the tray and grinned at the strawberries. Yummy; they looked delicious and sweet and simply perfect.

"He actually said that?" She definitely didn't believe me.

I shrugged and went around the bar, admitting, "No." I reached for a bottle of champagne and a nice glass, continuing, "But he implied it." I transferred the phone to the crook of my shoulder as I popped open the bottle. It hissed and bubbled until I tipped some of the delicious liquid into my glass. "And if the words weren't enough, his face sure as hell showed it." I put the cork back in the bottle and replaced the bottle on the counter.

"Jabari. Don't cuss around me." I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the champagne. _Yum_. "And you read too much into words. That's what your problem is with people. That's what the problem with _authors_ is." I hoped she wasn't about to lecture me, which she probably was.

But hey, I could lecture right back, then, couldn't I? "Words are weapons more formidable than swords or guns. Swords and guns – "

She cut me off, finishing for me, "—hurt outside, and outside heals. But words hurt inside, and inside never truly heals. You've told me that a thousand times." Now, _she_ sounded annoyed.

Cool.

"Because it's true. Words are my life for a reason." And they were. Words hit me in ways they hit very few other people, although that sounded like bragging, which I absolutely hated.

"I know. A reason you don't want to discuss."

She knew me too well. "Exactly," I sighed.

"So what's wrong with the hotel, Jabari?" She asked, changing the subject skillfully.

"The whole kiss ass thing," I grumbled, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I hate it, Cece. I _hate_ it."

"Damn it; don't cry on my, Jabari." Just as she said it, tears began welling up in my eyes.

"I'm not crying." I rubbed furiously at my eyes, trying to make the statement true so she wouldn't see through it.

She pretended to, although I knew she knew me better than that. "You want a change of hotel?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "I'll be fine. Just…" I paused, biting my lip. "…keep it in mind for next time, okay?"

"Yeah. How's your muse?"

Damn, Cece, why do you always make me uncomfortable like this? I sighed, muttering, "Still dead."

"That sucks," She said, sounding too cheerful. I was the one in trouble if I didn't write something on time. She was the one that could sue me. "How long you staying over there again?"

"You know perfectly well how long, Cece," She _was_ my planner, aside from best friend, publisher, and editor, after all. "You probably have the date of my return circled on your calendar." At least she had last time.

"Actually, I don't." There was that famous grin in her voice. Damn her. "It's highlighted."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd say fuck you, but you'd just turn it around on me." Yeah, she was perverted like that. I hopped onto the bar, took a sip of champagne, and bit into another strawberry. Huh. Strawberries did bring out the flavor of champagne. And very well, too, I might add. It was delicious.

"Of course I would," The shameless half-elf even bothered to admit it. "See you… Spring the 10th?"

"See you, Cece." I sighed, taking another sip. I wasn't going to get drunk or anything, but the bubbly was really rather helpful at soothing my nerves at the moment.

"Have fun. Relax. You're on vacation, hun," Like I didn't know it. Too bad it didn't exactly feel like a vacation. I was too busy worrying over my muse's return. I needed her back, soon. Or I was going to be sued, penniless, and hopeless. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing as she continued. "Just… sit back and get a tan. They do have a pool over there, don't they?"

"Yes, they do," I admitted, sighing again. "And you don't want to hang up, do you, Cece? You miss me?" I needed to tease her to feel better, which said something really bad about the kind of person I was. Man, I needed healthier hobbies.

"Don't tease me." She didn't even sound angry.

I shook my head and returned to where I'd put the phone at the other end of the bar. "Bye, C."

"Wait!" she exclaimed, probably clutching at her phone.

I grinned. "What?"

"Yeah, I do miss you…" Now, it was her turn to sigh. "Come back soon, okay? Don't run out on me?"

"You'd sue me if I tried." She really would, and I knew it. She knew I knew, and I also knew she knew I was telling the truth.

"Only cuz I love you," She was grinning again.

"Thanks, Cece." I'd really needed to hear that, honestly. I had to be honest to myself: I hadn't heard it often enough in childhood. Like those kids who weren't hugged enough. Come to think of it, that was me, too. Damn, my childhood was depressing. "See you in a week."

I hung up the phone, if only to hear it ring. I glared at it for a moment. I was tired. I wanted to sip my champagne and eat my strawberries and see if I could find my _Pretty Woman_ DVD so I could sit back and "veg out" as Julia Roberts so eloquently put it in the movie. With no idea who might be calling me – there _was_ no one else to be calling me – I picked up the phone again.

"Hello?"

"Miss Jabari?" It was the guy down at the desk again.

I sighed. "Speaking."

"There is a Jackson Jabari calling from an island just off the coast, and he wishes to speak with you."

_You've got to be kidding._

I sighed. "Could you put him on, please?"

"Of course, Miss Jabari." The person sounded happy to obey.

"Thank you." Manners never hurt.

"Claire? This really you?" It was really him.

I sighed again. I needed a different way to express frustration and stuff like that. "Hi, Jack." I ran a hand through my already unruly blond hair.

"You don't sound very happy to hear from me," he was probably grinning form wherever he was. I hated him just for that.

"Would you, in my case?" I'd given up lying so long ago, the sarcastic comment was relatively true. I'd never been happy in my family. Even with Jack there.

"Yeah." Yep, he was definitely grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Ever the narcissist."

"Always one to use big words," he teased.

Ass. "Narcissist isn't that big a word, and you know what it means."

"Yeah, so?"

"So don't be an ass. What do you want from me?" He wouldn't have contacted me from his little village if he didn't want something from me.

"I have a favor to ask you, actually." Gee, what a surprise. I rolled my eyes again. "But considering how nasty you're being, I'm not sure I want to do that anymore." Liar.

"Just spit it out, Jack. What's the issue?"

"Pop's pregnant."

I blinked. "Who?"

"That's right…. You weren't at the wedding."

How could he sound so _nonchalant_?

"Wedding? What wedding?" I was ready to strangle him.

"Cece said you were out of town," My, my. He was getting defensive. "It's not my fault she wouldn't let me send you an invite." Actually, it was. He knew how to work my editor/publisher/best friend if he really wanted something from her or, through her, from me.

He hadn't wanted me there, which only boiled my blood more. It also bothered me on a deeper level, which caused my voice to grow steely, "Jack. What. Wedding?"

"Mine." Yeah. I didn't know _that_ one. What did he take me for? Stupid?

"I mean it. Spill. Now. Or I'm coming to your little town and drowning you in the ocean." I wasn't violent, necessarily, but he'd probably skip town before I got there if I ever _did_ get angry enough. Or he'd just hire his sister.

"You're lucky I'm not a lawyer like Jill." What did I say? "She'd probably toss you in jail or something. Speaking of Jill, she was one of Pop's bridesmaids." Why was he always giving me more reasons to hate the woman?

"Jack. You have ten seconds to get talking or I swear I'm coming down there. Ten. Nine." He knew my counting. He'd never braved it past three.

"There's no need to threaten me." Now, he sounded like a petulant child.

Naturally, I didn't stop counting. "Seven. Six."

"Oh, come on, Claire." I was ready to stop listening if he wasn't about to spill the beans about the wedding I hadn't heard about. His wife was already pregnant. I was his sister – well, half-sister, but that wasn't important – and I should know stuff like that.

"Four. Three."

"Okay!" He sounded scared. "Okay. I'm spilling."

"You haven't started yet." My disbelieve was obvious in my voice. He wasn't about to start talking.

"You know how I moved to Mineral Town?" Of course I knew. I'd thrown a jealous temper tantrum when I'd found out, not to the knowledge of anyone but my aunt, of course. "Well, about two seasons ago I got married to this perfect girl that basically lived right next door. She's gorgeous and sweet and funny. I mean, she's not the sharpest knife on the sharpening block, but man… she's perfect."

"I don't need to hear the blabbing, buddy." But man. If he was blabbing like _that_ about some girl… he wasn't infatuated. He was damn near in love.

"Anyway. We got married. Jill and Mom and Dad were all there, so was the whole town." Was there anyone who didn't like the guy? "I mean, at first, Mom was pissed off because she hadn't met Pop before, but then they got together and were real close in minutes." Or his mother, for that matter? (I didn't exactly count…)

"Pop stands for what exactly?" I needed a bit more information on this chick. Maybe Cece would get a police friend of hers to do a background check on the girl. Considering the small town she came from, she probably didn't exist in that system… whatever.

"Popuri."

Could a name get any sillier? "Like potpourri?"

"She doesn't smell funny." He was getting defensive.

"Wow…" I muttered, shaking my head. I picked up the phone again and headed back to my champagne and strawberries. Within seconds, I was sipping from my glass again, biting into a strawberry just after. It was so relaxing…

"What?"

I swallowed a bit of strawberry, then told him what I believed as firmly as I believed most other things. "You really do like her."

"You should know I wouldn't marry someone if I didn't love them." I didn't actually, but it was nice to know.

"It still surprises me," I muttered. I swallowed another sip of my champagne, then spoke more loudly, "So she's pregnant. And?"

"Well… her mom had a difficult pregnancy..," Damn. If he knew about this chick's pregnancy, he'd changed. A lot. "So we wanna stay in the city in case anything bad happens to her. You know, for medical attention. The doc in town is good and all, but I still worry sometimes. I don't think he has the right equipment and all for her."

"What's the favor?" I grumped. Rambling was a problem we shared – when we were nervous, at least.

"Get to the point, why don't you?" Ass. There was a reason I didn't like talking to family too much.

"I already have," I muttered.

I don't think Jack even heard me, considering he continued, "Anyway, I want someone to look after the farm for a little bit. Just stay there, feed the animals, et cetera." I reached for the bottle again and refilled my champagne glass, taking a small sip straight from the bottle.

"Okay? And this applies to me how exactly?" Even the champagne wasn't relaxing away _this_ annoying.

He probably rolled his eyes. "I think you know that already, kid."

"Say it anyway." I was hoping it wasn't what I thought it was going to be.

"Jill hates Mineral Town. You'd love the place. Jill hates getting dirty. You don't mind. Jill would be bored to death. You wouldn't be bored a minute. Jill can't give up her job. You don't have to." My heart hurt by the time he finished speaking.

I sighed, summarizing, "So Jill was your first choice, but she turned you down?"

"Don't look at it that way." He sounded like he'd realized his mistake.

The pain in my chest allowed only one response: the only defense I knew was sarcasm. "Gee. I love being compared to the half-sister I've always hated. Gee. I just love being _second choice_ to the sister I've always hated." If I weren't more in control of my body, my voice would have been shrill, and I would have started crying again.

"Oh, come on, Claire bear." He was only being derisive.

"Ass."

"Claire." I didn't care.

"Hole."

"Come _on_." I had to show him that. I had to show myself that.

"Let the record show that I hate my half-brother Jack."

"Don't be –"

"—don't be what, Jack?" I demanded, cutting right into his speech, not caring what he'd meant to say. I could feel my eyes and nose burning with the angry tears that were threatening their entrance. "A bitch? Stubborn? Not what you want me to be?"

"Claire, listen to me." He was ordering me around again. Just because I was the youngest.

"Give me one good reason. Just one good reason." It was simple enough, wasn't it? "And if the next thing out of your mouth isn't that one good reason, I'm hanging up on you."

"Claire, I know –" No, he didn't. He'd never understood. He'd never known. And when I'd been younger, I'd hated him for it. Now, as far as I was aware, _I_ was the one who understood.

"—that's it. I'm hanging up." I stared at the phone, pulling it away from my mouth so he couldn't hear me breathe.

"Claire?"

I took a sip of champagne, following it up with a strawberry, as I continued to stare at the phone.

"Come on, Claire. You love the countryside." True, I had to give him that. "You love animals." Again, true. "You hate the big city." That, too. Damn. He was more observant than I'd ever given him credit for. "Your Aunt Darling would want this for you." Not perfectly true. She would only want it for me if I was happy. "We all know how bad you want those…" 'We all'? The only person who could know was Aunt Darling. No one else knew. And no one else cared. "…what are you always saying? Vast blue skies and wiggling sea-green hills?"

"Vast blue skies and hills that roll like the sea," I corrected softly, dropping my forehead to the cool granite of the bar. It probably wasn't meant for laying on, but I didn't particularly care.

"I knew you were still there." I knew he didn't.

But I could still play along. "Only because you're smart enough to listen for the sound of me hanging up."

"No. I just know you."

"Liar." I wanted to cry again.

"Why not, Claire? Why not? Why won't you do this for me?"

"Because it's for _you_, Jack, and I'm tired of doing favors for you." He'd done plenty for me, but honestly, he owed me ten times over anything I owed him. I hadn't asked for a favor from him. He'd always been begging for something from me. Usually, it was something to do with girls.

"Then do it for your Aunt Darling."

"She would tell me this is only heartbreak for me." I couldn't be sure of this, but she definitely didn't trust Jack. She would warn me about this favor he was asking of me.

"Then do it for _you_, Claire. Do something for yourself."

I stayed silent, sitting up, crossing my legs, and biting into another strawberry. A bit of juice escaped my mouth, trickling down my chin, but I didn't care. Or I thought I didn't: I had to wipe it away after a few moments before it ruined my white long-sleeved t-shirt.

As I alternated sipping champagne and eating strawberries, Jack rambled on, "Claire, you're the country mouse. You love animals and taking care of them. You can do whatever you do over the whole wide world. You love fresh air. You love the whole small town thing. Mineral Town even has a mountain and a hot spring and a library. You don't even have to do any farming. Just feed the animals. Relax in our little house. Enjoy the sunshine, the beach."

"I'm listening," I admitted softly. It was too gorgeous an offer for me _not_ to listen to.

"It's only three seasons. Just the rest of spring, summer, and fall. We should get back in early winter. It's only a little while. And Zack – you know Zack, right?"

"Yeah, what about him?" He was a friend of our father's, something that had never made sense to me. Zack looked damn awkward in a suit, our father lived for suits. Zack was nice, with a great grin and a bodybuilder statuette, while our father never smiled, had only the coldest of kiss ass manners, and was slim and slender, small, like me.

"Well, he can help out and all." That's right. He'd mentioned living in the same place as Jack. "Or someone else in the village can. They're real nice people." And I absolutely hate strangers.

"Really nice, Jack, not 'real nice,' people." Correcting him was just another defense mechanism.

"So what? It doesn't matter. Anyway, you'd be fine. It's only three seasons." Why did he keep repeating that? If I was going to love the place, I wouldn't want to leave. "The people are nice. There's a mountain and a hot spring and those hills you're always talking about. You'd love it here." He'd said that a bit ago, too.

I remained silent, biting into a strawberry, sucking on the juice and mulling the idea Jack was proposing over in my head.

"So? You wanna do it? Please… I'm begging here, Claire?" He wasn't a very good beggar.

"Maybe…" I murmured, biting my lip now that I'd finished the strawberry.

"Pop and I can stay a bit – until summer – to help you get used to things and introduce you to people and stuff." I really didn't want that, but I wasn't about to say anything to Jack. "We're having the house rebuilt so the baby has a crib upstairs, but you can live there once Gotz is done. It's gonna be real nice."

I was tempted to correct him again, but I kept silent. I was still listening. Still trying to convince myself – and maybe him – I wasn't going to do this. But damn it. It was so _tempting_. How could I tell him no?

"Claire? Please? Come on? It's just for a little while. It's free. Except for the animal feeding and stuff. It's just house-sitting."

I mean, I could do house-sitting. I'd done it for Cece once. In fact, I stayed more in hotels and houses belonging to other people than I did in my own apartment. It was sort of weird, but I liked it. I liked feeling useful.

"Claire. Come on, Claire. Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with whipped cream and cherries and sprinkles and syrup on top?"

"In that order?" I couldn't stop the giggle. No matter how much I hated him sometimes, he always somehow managed to make me laugh.

"Whatever you want in whatever order you want. Hell, I'll do anything for you. I just want to make sure Pop and the baby are safe." He really cared for the woman. I just hoped he wouldn't give it up.

Well… I could guarantee that, couldn't I? Or nearly. Jack was usually good for his promises. "…I only have one condition. For now."

"You're going to do it?" he sounded… happy. Like he hadn't really expected me to do, but he realized his luck and was actually… grateful.

"Like I said. One condition, but I might add more later," it all depended on how things turned out, and if he kept this promise.

"Anything." Boy, would Cece have fun with _that_ one.

"Don't cheat on her. Don't divorce her unless she's cool with it. Love her. Be a good father to the baby. Just…don't let go of something this amazing. Don't ruin something like this."

He was quiet a moment, then murmured, "…you mean like Dad almost did?"

"I still blame him for her death. And that's not something I want to talk about." My voice held a note of finality I knew he would recognize, one he would understand.

"So…it's a yes?" Again, that elation.

I sighed. I was regretting this already. "…fine. On that one condition. If you make me regret it because you hurt your wife or neglect your baby or _anything along those lines_, I will find a way to get revenge on you." In a way that was legal, so I couldn't get in real trouble. Jack wouldn't do anything about it either, considering he would know he'd had it coming to him.

"It's a deal. When can you be here?"

* * *

I don't know how many times I've rewritten this chapter, trying to figure out exactly HOW I wanted to start the story. _Please_ tell me what you guys think?


	2. Fellow Insomniac

**Title:** A Little Something Extra

**Author:** Lalipop

**Rating: **T

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

**Fandom:** Harvest Moon: (More) Friends of Mineral Town

**Disclaimer:** Harvest Moon and Natsume do not belong to me.

**Summary:** I needed my muse back. I needed to feel loved. I wanted both of those things. But I always felt there was something else I needed. A little something extra to spice up my life. But when the opportunity presented itself, I still had to think about it.

**Author's Notes:** later -.-

* * *

**Chapter the Second**

**Fellow Insomniac**

* * *

I'd been a bit of an insomniac ever since my mom died. Dad had managed to find sleep again, but his was fitful. Gray… he'd just grown cold. I had no idea how my brother slept, only that he hadn't known something had gone wrong because he was in the city at the time, living with our aunt. I didn't know if it haunted him that he hadn't been there for her, but I sure wished it affected his sleep. Mine was alright, when I was able to find some in the first place.

Tonight was like most nights, so I slipped out of bed and crept into the main room of the inn, trying not to disturb Dad. I grabbed a bottle of apple cider and a glass from the wall behind the counter, lit a candle at one of the tables, and cracked open the bottle. Moments later, the bubbles hit my throat. Dad's cider was amazing.

As I drank, slowing down with the second glass, my mind wandered back to what had happened at dinner.

Jack and I had never gotten along very well. Needless to say, I hadn't been very happy when he told my dad that he needed a room for a few weeks because Gotz was rebuilding his house. Popuri was nice enough, so that was okay. Besides, she was pregnant, so I would have been extremely guilty if there hadn't been room. There usually was. I was just glad that Jack had also announced that he and Popuri were leaving the evening of the first day of summer, and wouldn't return until the baby was born and all right in early winter. His sister would be staying here in the meantime to care for his animals and land.

I had expected Jill to come. Giselle was a bitch, nearly a twin to Jack, with a tall and curvy figure, dyed-blonde hair and brown eyes, who had come to the wedding along with his parents. I knew he had another sister, but apparently she traveled a lot and he hadn't been able to get a hold of her in time for the wedding. Jill had hated it here. She hated the simplistic lifestyle, which I knew even though she hadn't said a word.

But it hadn't been Jill that had come with Zack and the ferry. It wasn't Jill who Jack and Popuri had introduced to Dad and me. It was a tiny, shy, blonde-haired girl named Claire. She was friendly though, polite, despite how quiet she was. She had asked a few questions about the living here in Mineral Town, thanked me when I showed her the room, and dressed for bed early. She was much friendlier than Jack was, at least in my opinion, and I found it hard to believe how unlike the two were. Hell, even she and Jill had nothing in common. Maybe she was adopted?

"Uhm… may I join you?"

My head snapped up. Speak of the devil, and she shall appear… I smiled at the girl, who stood in her own nightgown with a candle in hand at the foot of the stairs. "Sure. Come on down."

She padded towards me hesitantly, placed the candle on the table beside mine, and gingerly sat down beside me. I smiled at her again, until she murmured, "Ann, right?" Her eyes peeked up between strands of golden flax.

"Yeah," I agreed, grinning. "And you're Claire." She nodded, but didn't say anything to me. Trying to break the ice, I held up my glass. "You want some apple cider? It's good." Her head bobbed up and down again, but she wasn't looking at me either. I shrugged and went to grab another glass, filling it and handing it to her upon my return.

"Thank you," she whispered, taking a tentative sip of the cider.

"My dad makes the best cider on the island," I assured her. "No one in Forget-Me-Not Valley can get anywhere near this quality, not even Griffin." Pride rang true in my words, but why the hell not?

"Forget-Me-Not Valley?" she asked curiously, looking at me for what felt the first time. She had really pretty blue eyes, and I wondered again how she and Jack could be related. They were nothing alike.

I nodded. "Yeah. It's the valley on the other side of Mother's Hill. Really pretty, but way bigger than here. Maybe we can visit it sometime this summer together."

"That sounds nice," she admitted, still hunching over her cider.

Damn. Shy, much? I could almost understand why Jack had married Popuri. If he had lived with this kind of person for his whole life, he would need a talkative sort of person to wake him up from that.

I put my glass down and tried to look her straight in the eye. "Okay. So. You have two options." She blinked at me, eyes huge, vast as the sky and that exact same color. "One, you open up now." Confusion became alarm. I couldn't stop the mischievous grin. "Or two, I slowly pry you open over the next two seasons." She definitely looked scared. "Think about it for a moment, okay?"

It took her a moment, but then she murmured, "I'm sorry. I've never been one for strangers, but I'll try."

"Why?"

She glanced up, looking confused again. "Pardon?"

I grinned. "Why? Like, why don't you like strangers? Do you know why you're so shy? Did something go wrong when you were a kid?" She blinked at me. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I might be a chatterer, but I'm a good secret-keeper."

"…I… I don't know," she whispered.

"Okay, change of subject, kiddo," I told her, kicking my feet onto the table opposite her. "You and Jack… are you really siblings?"

She looked up at me, eyes wide, and pain streaked across her expression briefly. Man, I guess the family life didn't work out for this chick. After a long moment, she murmured, "Half. We're only half-siblings."

"Cool," I acknowledged, "That might explain why you're nothing alike."

"Is that a good thing?" she asked hesitantly.

"Definitely," I told her, nodding fervently. "No offense or nothing, but your brother and I ain't exactly the best of buddies, y'know? We don't get along very well."

She grinned. Actually _grinned_. I felt like I should celebrate. "Neither do we."

I tilted my head to the side. "Then why are you helping him out? You know, by watching the farm after he leaves and all."

"He talked me into it…" she shrugged. "I've always wanted to live in a place like this, so I guess it wasn't _that_ hard anyway. I mean, this place looks really… nice. And I don't have to put up with any of the people I know and don't like. Besides, if there's anybody here I don't get along with, it won't matter because I'm leaving come winter."

I had to admit that she was making sense. This was every definition of the word temporary for her, just like Jack was intending to make it permanent for him and Popuri. All the same, I had a nagging feeling that I wanted to be friends with Claire anyway. She was nice, sweet. Hell, a huge part of me wished she'd moved here two years ago instead of Jack. It sounded selfish of me, and even though Popuri was a friend of mine, I didn't understand what she saw in Jack. I felt he was an asshole, but she just… she loved him.

To distract myself from the "bad" thoughts, I began telling Claire about the town. After all, if she was staying here for a while, she might as well know a bit about the people and the way things worked. I even grabbed a napkin for her and drew a map of the town on it, labeling everything before I handed it to her. She studied it for a moment, and gave it back to me.

"What, do you have a photographic memory or something?" I asked, leaving the offending paper on the desk and lifting a disbelieving eyebrow.

She shook her head, chuckling. "Not nearly. I just can't read and follow maps very successfully. I do better with trial and error when I try to find my way around, you know? I mean, I'd have to figure out the scale and exactly which way I was supposed to turn the map before I was able to figure out which way I was supposed to go."

I yawned, covering my hand in embarrassment. "I can't do that. I have to have a map or exact directions."

"Oh," she yawned, too, and we laughed together. "I think it's time for us to head to bed, Ann."

"Not yet," I complained, rubbing at my eyes. "You know, your name is really pretty…"

Claire smiled. "You like 'Claire'?" I nodded, shrugging, and she sighed, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "It's short for Clarimonde. That's why I go by Claire instead – Clarimonde is such a mouthful."

"I wish I had a really long, really pretty name like that," I pouted, "Ann is so… boring."

"Bland," she offered, grinning.

"Yeah, that, too," I laughed. "I wish had a long name. Like Alessandra. Or Isabella. You know, to balance mine out? Or instead of Ann. That would be amazing."

She shook her head seriously. "I wish I had something short, you know? I mean, my name's a mile long. And Jabari doesn't count…"

"At least your name sounds cool. Clarimonde Jabari."

"Jabari means 'fearless' – did you know that?" I shook my head, yawning behind my hand. "And Clarimonde means 'illustrious protector.' Jack always said it's obvious that my mom named me. Dad never wanted me." Realizing what she'd just said, she clamped her mouth shut and played with the neck of her glass.

I took a sip of cider straight from the bottle, not wanting to bother with the glass anymore. "You know what Ann means?" She shook her head. "Damn. Cuz neither do I."

We burst into laughter simultaneously. There was a thumping on the wooden wall, and I lifted a finger to my lips as she covered her mouth.

After a long, awkward moment of silence, she whispered, "What was that?"

"That was my dad," I explained. "Apparently, we were being a bit too loud. He does that whenever he's trying to sleep and it's noisy out here, you know? Cuz everybody who stays here usually knows what it means. Except for you. You had to be educated."

She giggled. "Your dad's the big guy with the orange hair and the mustache, right?" I nodded. "He kinda scares me…"

"Dad's nothing to be scared of, except when he's pissed," I told her, "And he never gets angry with people. Usually. But you'll know when he gets angry, cuz his face turns red. Red as a tomato." I yawned. "Besides, shouldn't you be fearless? You said that's what your last name means."

"I didn't say I was aptly named, Ann," she reprimanded, yawning herself.

"Personally, I think both Popuri and Jack were," I muttered.

She nodded. "Jack was wrong. Popuri does smell a bit weird. And Jack is a jackass, if I ever saw one."

I had to bust up laughing, but I kept my hand in front of my mouth so I wouldn't bug Dad again. Yep, me and Claire would definitely be good friends. We'd have to become pen pals or something when she went back to the city.

"You know," I told her thoughtfully, "I feel sorry for you." She looked confused, opened her mouth, but I stopped her by holding up my hand. "Not cuz the jackass is you brother – well, that too, but mainly because you're rooming with Popuri. That girl snores like a drunk sailor or whatever."

"I completely agree," she admitted, shrugging. "I doubt there's any other place I could sleep, though." I had a brief glimpse of introducing her to the boys and telling them she'd be sleeping in their room. Kai would have a field day over the summer. _So_ not going to happen. "Besides, I'd hate to tell her why I'm changing rooms – I can't lie very well, so any excuse would be out the window. And guilt works too well on me."

I grinned. "I can train you. Trust me, I've got enough experience with the little ones running around."

"Little ones?" she repeated, looking confused again.

"Yeah – May and Stu," I blinked at her. "Didn't I mention them to you earlier?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Well, May is Barley's granddaughter, and Stu is Elli – the nurse's little brother," I explained, sipping more cider calmly. "They're seven, I think, and can be really annoying if you catch them on a bad day. They'll guilt you for anything from cookies on Thanksgiving to extra presents for Christmas."

"That sounds painful."

I winced. She looked worried all of a sudden. "You don't like kids much, do you, Claire?"

She shook her head. "I'm not particularly fond of them, no."

"That sucks for you – Popuri and Jack love the little critters like there's no tomorrow," I grinned at her mischievously. "I don't envy the hell you'll be put through, sorry."

"You're only making me regret this decision, Ann," she admitted softly, "Maybe I should tell Jack I can't handle it…"

"You can't do that!"

Her eyes widen and she seemed to snap to attention. "Why not?"

"Because then the jackass will stay for the year… and we won't get to know each other," I pouted at her, trying to give her puppy dog eyes.

She chuckled mercilessly. "That doesn't work on me, Ann. Besides, you sound like an over-sexed boy who can't wait to get in my pants. I don't appreciate that."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Because you get enough of that?" She looked startled again. "Honey, you're beautiful. The downside to that is that you seem like the romantic type. You know, with I do's and happily ever after marriages. As far as I know, you can't get that in the city. Even in a place like this, that's rare enough."

"A friend of mine told me almost exactly that a few years ago," she admitted softly.

"Smart girl."

She shook her head, smiling. "No, smart _boy_."

"That contradicts itself," I informed her, rolling my eyes.

"Not in his case," Claire ensured me. "He was my best friend for all of… six years, I think. I was the smartest person I ever knew, regarding people. He was… really good with people. He could have been friends with Bill Gates, but he wanted to be friends with me."

I stared at her for a long moment. "You were really close."

"He was special, amazing," she continued, smiling a bit sadly. "We still write, occasionally. He's really busy, mostly because he's always traveling."

:That's what jack said about you, why you didn't come to the wedding," I reminded her, lifting an eyebrow.

Her expression darkened, turning angry as her eyes seemed to grow almost steely gray. "At least he didn't stretch the truth too far." She sighed. "Sorry, let me explain: I do travel a lot. The thing is, I didn't know there was a wedding until the day Jack asked me to take care of the farm for him."

"The _bastard_!" I exclaimed. "I knew I didn't like him for a reason. Thanks for clearing that up for me." I paused, remembering the wedding. "What about Jill, and the old man and the lady that's way too young to be his wife?"

She rolled her eyes. "The old man's our dad. The lady 'too young to be his wife' uses plastic surgery and botox or whatever to look younger. She's in her early fifties and married to him. Jill is my half-sister, their child, Jack's full sister, and a lawyer. They don't 'travel' so Jack was okay with inviting them, but not me. Although it was probably better that way."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Care to explain that little comment there?"

"My… family, and I have never really gotten along," she admitted. "Of all of them, I'm closest to Jack. That should tell you a little about family life at home before my eighteenth birthday."

"That sucks. A lot."

She nodded, yawned, and asked softly, "Can we go to bed now? I have a feeling we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

I nodded, too, but in understanding. "Very well," I yawned again, getting up as she did and grabbing the two glasses. She took her candle and headed back toward the stairs, waving. "Sleep well, fellow insomniac."

She giggled as she headed up the stairs.

* * *

There's a second chapter for you guys ^^ Remember, reviews are love, so review for me and make me loved xD


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